Phonograph



March 1 N.-MAGNIFICO PHONOGRAPH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1922 INVENTOR I March 1 1927.

, I 1,619,623 N. MAGNIFICO PHONOGRAPH Filed March 31, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY r ' 1 H/SAT RNEYS IN VENTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 N MAGNlFlCO PHONOGRAPH Flled March 51, 1922 HIIIWHIWWHIIIIHHHHHHIIINII All y 2 March 1 1927.

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES NICOLA MAGN'IFI'CO, 0F ROME, ITALY.

PHONOGRAPH.

Application filed March 31, 1922.

In the phonographs now on the market the record disk is caused to revolve at a uniform speed and may not exceed certain limits suggested by experience, because an excessive peripheral speed at the points most distant from the center would render impossible a proper phonetic reproduction. The reduction of the angular speed on the other hand does not permit a perfect reproduction in the spiral grooves nearer to the center. In any event these conditions materially circumscribe the use of the machine.

It is observed that the number of phonetic undulations included in one spiral groove is inversely proportional to the diameter of the groove. It follows naturally that an appreciable loss is borne in the indentations oi? the groove in the outer portion of the disk and this suggests the problem of changing the rate of speed so as to obtain phoneticundulations regularly close both at the center and at the periphery of the record.

This means that a predetermined length of the groove must be made to pass constantly under the reproducing stylus or needle in a given time, which can be achieved by varying the angular speed of the record according to the more or less removed position of the needle or diaphragm from the center of the record. v

In practice the solution of this problem presents serious difiiculties of a technical and constructive character, on account of the extreme susce tibility of phonetic registrations in relation to eventual changes 01 speed. Therefore the object of. my invention is the provision of a drive mechanism for phonographs by which the record disk is turi'ied at a progressimly increasing or decreasing rate of speed to cause the stylus or needle to travel over thesame linear distance per unit of time in all parts of the record, as will be hereinafter described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the phonograph mechanism embodying my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale showing the parts in the position rcversed from that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan. v

Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the parts in the position at 90 from those shown in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 5 is a plan of the nut device for actuating the friction roller.

Serial No. 548,300.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the gears employed for driving the screw shaft by which the triotion roller is moved, and p v Fig. 7 is an elevation of the parts employed for retracking the friction roller to return the same to an initial position.

In the drawing the record disk as commonly employed is indicated at 1. This record disk is secured to the upper end of a suitably journaled spindle 2. On the lower end of the spindle 2 there is a drive disk 3 which is turned by the frictional roller 4 suitably mounted on a shaft 1 The drive disk 8 is mounted to slide on the spindle 2, but is keyed to the same so as to turn therewith. Similarly the friction roller 4 is mounted to slide on the shaft 44 but is keyed thereto so as to turn therewith. On the lower end of the spindle 2 :there is a bevel gear 5. This meshes with a bevel gear 6 carried on a countershaft 7 which is mounted and slida bly adjustable at one end in a suitable bearing. On the countershatt 7 there is a spur gear 8 meshing with a spur gear 9 which aotuates a spur gear 10 carried on a screw shaft 11 which is also mounted in suitable bearings. The screw shaft 11 is engaged by a nut 12 suitably mounted in a hub carried by the shaft 4? and connected to the bearing of the friction roller 4 so that the hub and the friction roller are positively driven either in one direction or theother when the nut 12 is in engagement with the screw shaft 11 through the spur gears 8, 9 and 10 and the .countershalt'? and the bevel. gears 5 and 6 from the spindle which, as will be unde" stood, is driven in turn bythe friction roller 4 from the shaft 4; which is connected to and driven bythemotor indicated at M. Surrounding the lower end of the spindle 2 and extending between the hub of the bevel gear 5 and the hub of the drive disk 3 there is a spring 13 which normally maintains the drive disk in a yieldingly elevated position to trictionally engage and to maintain the frictional-engagement between the surtaceoit the drive disk and the periphery of the friction roller 4. It is to be noted that the shaft 1* is ollset from but placed in a position parallel to a line drawn centrally through the spindle 2. In other, words the shaft 4 is oflset from but parallel to the diameter of the drive disk so that irrespective of the positive mannerin which the drive disk is turned by the friction .roller, as hercinbefore described, there is a tendency for the friction roller to advanceor recede, depending upon which side of the diameter of the shaft 4 is placed to either impart a progressively increasing speed or a progressively de: creasing speed to the drive disk 3 and consequently to the record disk 1 depending upon whether the friction roller travels from the periphery toward the center of the drive disk or from the center toward the periphery thereof.

In the mechanism as illustrated, the shaft 4 is driven continuously by the motor employed and in order to disconnect the friction roller from the drive disk and to return the friction roller to an initial position I may employ a button 14 connected to a rod which actuates a lever 15. This lever in turn swings a lever 16 through a link 17 so that by depressing the button the free end of the lever 16 which normally bears against the upper surface of the drive disk is de 7 pressed so as to shift the drive disk on the spindle 2 against the action of the spring 13 so as to separate the drive disk from the friction roller. The operation of the button 14 also actuates a lever 14 through which a clutch 18 is shifted on an auxiliary shaft. On this auxiliary shaft there is a pulley 15 connected by a belt or chain 16 with a pulley 17 mounted on the shaft 4 so that the auxiliary shaft is turned from the shaft 4. On this auxiliary shaft there is also a spring actuated drum 18 carrying a cord or similar device 19 which passes over suitable pulleys and is connected to a lever 20 by which the nut 12 is actuated so as to be moved out of contact with the screw shaft 11. It Will be readily understood, therefore, that in actuating the button 14 the clutch 18 will be engaged with the pulley 18 whereby the nut 12 will be released from the screw shaft 11 and the friction roller 4 and the parts associated therewith will be re turned to an initial position. The drum 18 is furtherl'nore so constructed that after a predetermined tension has been applied thereto in the operation of the parts it will 7 slip to prevent breaking the apparatus.

1 of the friction roller.

In some instances it may be necessary to drive the record disk at a uniform rate of speed for example in playing records as now commonly made, and in order to accomplish this the apparatus may be provided with devices for disconnecting the positive drive To this end I employ a button 21 connected'to a rod 24 in order to operate levers 22 and 23. The levers 22 and 23 are pivotally mounted in suitable brackets and at their free ends are adapted to engage with that portion of the shaft 7 on which the bevel gear 6 is mounted so as to shift the bevel gear from the position in which it is in mesh with the bevel gear 5 f so that when the parts are thus disconnected the friction roller 4 will not be positively driven along the shaft 4 and consequently will remain in the necessary position to turn the drive disk and consequently the record disk at a uniform rate of speed. In order to lock the parts inthis position the bracket upon which the levers 22 and 23 are pivotally connected is provided with the pin or projection 25 so placed as to engage with the teeth of the bevel gear 6 to prevent the same and the parts normally actuated thereby from turning. The parts of the apparatus may be maintained in this position by means of a spring actuated latch 26 or any other suitable device adapted to engage a projection provided for this purpose on the rod 24 after the button 21 and the rod have been moved to so actuate these parts of the mechanism.

Included in the apparatus I also employ means for applying a brake to the friction roller shaft 4 and for regulating the speed of the disks. As illustrated the button and the parts actuated thereby are for the former purpose and the button 28 and the parts actuated thereby for the latter pur-wh pose. In order that the action of the brake on the shaft 4 may be gradual and that any excessive braking pressure may not be applied the base of the brake is moved toward the brake pulley 34 on the shaft 4 by the tension of a spring 34. By the use of the button, that is by depressing the button 27 the action of the spring is temporarily suspended. The button 28 is employed to 0on trol the speed regulator through the mecha nism including a centrifugal regulator 29 and a brake 30 so as to permit the changmg of the device within certain limits depending, of course, upon the speed at which the driving motor operates. The speed indicator furthermore is driven by a pulley 31 fixed on a shaft parallel to that of the regulator brake by which it is actuated through a strap or belt which transmits the motion to a simi lar pulley 32 while the centrifugal regulator 33 through a suitable connection operates an index by which the speed may be deter mined.

From the foregoing description it will now be understood that the drive disk 1s positively driven by frictional contact with the friction roller 4 and that the relationlit) ship of these members is normally maintained in a yielding manner by the spring f 13 and that the friction roller is turned from the motor mechanism employed and caused positively to move either toward or away from the center of the drive disk by the screw shaft 11, the nut 12and the parts for driving these members. It will furthermore be understood that the shaft on which the friction roller is placed may be mounted in a'position parallel to but offset from the diameter of the drive disk and on either side of the said diameter so that when placed on one side and being actuated from the center of the disk toward the periphery thereof drives the disk at a constantly increasing speed and when placed on the other side of the diameter and caused to travel from the periphery toward the center of the disk to drive the disk at a progressively increasing speed which will, when the shaft isplaced in the position coincident with the diameter of the disk, be driven at a uniform rate of speed when the friction roller is disconnected from its positive drive. In this manner, as will now be apparent, the producing stylus or the reproducing needle may be caused to travel at a uniform rate over a predetermined portion of the record independent of the position of the stylus or needle relative to the distance from the center or the periphery of the record.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a. phonograph, a record disk, dle on which the record disk is fixed, disk mounted to turn with and slide upon the said spindle, a drive shaft, a friction roller slidable on the drive shaft and adapt ed to contact with said drive disk for i1nparting a progressively increasing or decreasing movement to the said drive disk and through the same and the spindle to the record disk, means foryieldingly supporting the said drive disk to maintain the same normally in contact with the said friction roller, and means for shifting the said drive disk on the spindle to separate the same from the said friction roller.

2. In a phonograph, a record disk, a spindle on which the record disk is fixed, a drive disk mounted to turn with and slide upon the said spindle, a drive shaft, a friction roller slidable on the drive shaft and adapted to contact with said drive disk for imparting a progressively increasing or dea spina drive creasing movement to the said drive disk and through the same and the spindle to the record disk, a spring 011 the said spindle for normally maintaining the drive disk in contact with thefriction roller, and means for simultaneously shifting the drive disk to separate the same from the friction roller against the action of the said spring and for returning the friction roller to an initial position.

3. In a phonograph, a record disk, a spindle on which the record disk is fixed, a drive disk mounted to turn with and slide upon the said spindle, a drive shaft, a friction roller mounted to turn with and slide upon the drive shaft, a counter shaft, gears connecting the spindle and counter shaft, a

screw shaft, means for driving the screw I shaft from the counter shaft, devices actuated by the screw shaft for positively moving the friction roller along the drive shaft, and means for separating the gears normally connecting the'spindle and counter shaft in order to make the counter shaft and the said parts actuated thereby inoperative.

4:. In a phonograph, a record disk, a spindle on which the record disk is fixed, a drive disk mounted to turn with and slide upon the said spindle, a drive shaft, afriction roller mounted to turn with and slide'upon the drive shaft, :1 counter shaft,rgears connecting the spindle and counter shaft, a screw shaft, means for driving the screw shaft from the counter shaft, devices actuated by the screw shaft for positively moving the friction roller along the drive shaft, and a rod and lever for shifting the gear on the counter shaft from connection with the gear on the spindle to render inoperative the counter shaft and the said part-s operated thereby.

N ICOLA MAGNIFICO. 

